Title: Blades of Blood
Author: Vathara
Rating: T
Genre: Supernatural/Adventure
Status: Complete
Summary: In a world where monsters roam city streets, a mild-mannered New Yorker has just picked up a blade called Battousai... Modern AU, based off the NightLife RPG.
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2434630/1/Blades_of_Blood

One of my favorite pieces of fanfiction - both well thought out and well planned, while managing to combine two universes in an interesting way.

I saw that the only bit of Vathara's fanfiction posted here was Embers, which was justifiably lambasted for the author's irritating habit of injecting realistic elements into a universe without changing anything they would have effected. So I thought I should share a story I thought showed off Vathara's better qualities.

 

Yes, making the fire nation into dragon-human hybrids was much more realistic than canon.

 

Seriously? I didn't even read Embers because of the shit storm, but Vathara did that?

I was referring to the sort of thing Vathara did in Upon a Fiery Steed (an oft irritating guilty pleasure of mine), injecting a somewhat more realistic outlook on the way that the Tokra, being an alien species, would interact with others. Also using a more serious military and anthropological focus in that universe.

I posted Blades of Blood because it had almost none those irritating habits, being an RPG fusion.

Hybrids? Fucking seriously?

And without making it an AU?

 

Yep, he totally did this, and his fans will still claim it as realistic. (Anyone else remember Capadocian or whatever his/her name was trying to say that it was no different than the Denarian Series?)

 

Why do so many good authors have major weaknesses that are personality, not writing, based?

Granted that Vathara's had the habit for a while, but I think someone's fallen in too deep. There comes a point when you have to step back, and that point iprobably comes before you have to start writing essay long author's notes to justify yourself.

Protection From Editors Critics, anyone? [TvTropes Warning!]

EDIT:

I will vouch for Blades, though.

 

Wow, what a gem. I was not at all familiar with the Nightlife setting, but that didn't hinder me from enjoying this fantastic fic. Easy 5/5 for me, would love to see another foray into this world by the author.

Say what you want about Vathara's Avatar fanfic "Embers"*, but this one is just excellent.

*I enjoyed the beginning arc, but as Team Avatar started to coming in and the character derailment began, the fic began to go downhill IMO.

BTW, this fic also has a sequel, Witchy Woman.

 

Read both this and its sequel.

5/5 for both.

I like Kenshin, and while not familiar with Nightlife RPG, I was able to follow along quite well.